DNS on Windows Server 2003, 3rd Edition

Configuring WINS Lookup

WINS lookup, as it’s called, is enabled on a zone-by-zone basis using the WINS tab of a forward zone’s properties window. When the DNS server receives an address (A) record query for which it doesn’t know the answer, if the zone where the record would exist has WINS lookup enabled, the DNS server queries a WINS server. The NetBIOS name sent to the WINS server is the first label of the domain name in the A record query. For example, if the domain name in the A record query is terminator.movie.edu, the NetBIOS name queried is terminator. If the WINS server responds with an IP address for terminator, the DNS server synthesizes an A record for terminator.movie.edu and returns it to the original querier.

The WINS lookup configuration for the movie.edu zone on the zone’s primary, terminator, is shown in Figure 11-6.

Figure 11-6. WINS lookup settings for movie.edu

WINS lookup is enabled by checking the Use WINS forward lookup box. You can specify the IP addresses of up to eight WINS servers, and the DNS server will try them in the order listed.

By default, the WINS lookup configuration you establish on the primary takes effect on the secondaries as well. The primary inserts a special WINS record that gets transferred with the rest of the zone to the secondaries. If the secondaries are Microsoft DNS Servers, they understand the WINS record and perform WINS lookups ...